Tsume was brought before the lord of Closed Shell Castle, Reju Jikai, and his wife, Seppun Azusa. The lord and his lady listened intently as Tsume divulged the secret which banished them to the castle. He revealed that it was Miya Shinkako who was behind the fateful incident which injured the Daidoji child and cost Jikai his status as a revered and well respected tutor.

Jikai immediately summoned Shinkako to his audience chamber. She admitted to what she had done despite her fear and embarrassment. Visibly upset, the lord wrestled with what to do with his old rival. He could’ve had her killed. Instead, he kept his composure and ordered her to speak before his lord, Otomo Itsuki, to confess her misdeed and claim responsibility for Jikai’s dishonor.

Jikai thanked Tsume for his help and invited him on a hunt he was planning for next week, which Tsume graciously accepted. Falconry had always been a favorite hobby of the dishonored lord. Being reminded of the spiritual imbalance he had witnessed in the region, Tsume broached the topic of over hunting in the forest and spoke of how the wolves had become aggressive. Jikai referred Tsume to Otomo Nobu for these concerns. Since taking command of the castle, Jikai had relied on Nobu to manage the day-to-day operations of the castle. 

That week, while scouting the land beyond the castle, Tsume made a startling discovery. Against all odds, he found tracks belonging to the missing shugenja, Reju Tetsuya. The tracks lead him on a two day’s trail to the ruined Otosan Uchi. Tsume reported the information to Masaru, who now awaits his next orders. The rogue suddenly built a reputation for himself as a remarkable tracker.

While on duty, Boa was confronted by Mamoru Nakama, the shapeshifter. Nakama noted Boa’s concern for the forest and revealed to him his plan: Reju Jikai has been planning a hunting party, and Nakama wants Ide Toshio on that hunt. With Toshio outside the castle, Nakama would be able to ambush the samurai and remove his demand for meats, pelts, and furs from the animals of the forest. Boa was not satisfied with Nakama’s plan. He once again tried to get the shapeshifter to see reason and understand that the problem was much deeper than just Toshio. But Nakama still would not listen. Nakama had been living in peace with the lords of Closed Shell Castle for the entirety of his supernatural life and refused to see fault in them. He refused to harm a member of his own pack. The castle was his territory, and Toshio was an outsider.

Boa reluctantly agreed to help, feeling sympathy for the distraught spirit. Boa asked about Nakama’s relationship with the Otomo family and the former rulers of the castle, and Nakama briefed the ronin on a brief history of the castle and the legend surrounding it. The castle was built by Otomo Nahoko, who later in life became paranoid that she was being surrounded by enemies, so she built elaborate defenses to protect herself against an enemy that never existed. She died of old age, barricaded inside a castle that never saw a siege. Since then, legend has it that whoever controls the castle goes insane with paranoia. The most recent lord before Jikai was Otomo Yuki. He had ruled the castle for about 40 years when the Scorpion War began. He had become paranoid that the Scorpion were going to attack the castle, and took extreme measures to fortify the castle. Tired of living and working under such austere conditions, the servants rose up and poisoned Yuki, and the steward, Otomo Nobu, became lord until Reju Jikai was named Yuki’s predecessor.

Later, Boa spoke with Toshio about the hunt. Toshio recognized that it would be a wonderful opportunity to get in the good graces of the lord of the castle, but pointed out that he would need an invitation from Jikai. To show up uninvited would be downright shameful. Toshio asked if Reju Ume, Jikai’s niece and heir, was going to be there. When he learned that she was going, Toshio became flustered. He had been in love with her since he laid eyes on her, and would be far too anxious to go on the hunt with her there.

Meanwhile, Kaizoku continued plotting Zagra’s escape. He had surveyed the walls, learning exactly where the best entrances and exits would be; he memorized the patrol routes of the other guards; he had been placing items and equipment in the right spots in case he needed to use them; and he had noted the shift changes in the dungeons. He calculated a ten minute window when everything should line up just perfectly.

That night, he spoke with Tsume and Boa about what they had learned in the castle and the forces that were at work. The three reasoned it would be best to wait before releasing Zagra. The peasants were planning a revolt and perhaps they could use that as a cover. The three turned in for the night, but Kaizoku’s mind was racing. The plans had been set, all he had to was go through the motions. A final push to the finish line, and on the other side waiting for him was the sweet kiss of liquid void. He could wait no longer. Tonight was the night.

Kaizoku skulked down to the dungeons with a copy of the key used to lock up the prisoners. Zagra sprang to his feet, knowing his time had come. The two snuck out of the dungeons, through the keep, past the courtyard, and onto the walls toward a crenelation where Kaizoku had prepared a knotted rope and grappling hook to let them down. The two pirates turned a corner out of one of the watchtowers to find a surprise: standing between them and the rope was Rin—the belligerent ronin who vowed to turn Kaizoku and his friends in if she ever caught them acting out of line. She turns to lock eyes with Kaizoku, but she doesn’t seem to spot Zagra. “What are you doing here?” She asks.

She wasn’t supposed to be there. This wasn’t part of the plan. Kaizoku had come this far and worked so hard for this. He couldn’t let it fall apart now. Thinking quickly, he lunged at the ronin with a heavy rock, deciding to knock her out before she can call for backup. His careful planning, the stress of being caught, the fear of what lie ahead, and the liquid void waiting for him— all of these things ran through his mind as the pirate unmasked. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and Kaizoku lost control of his strength. With a crack, Rin’s body fell motionless to the ground. Without looking back, Kaizoku and Zagra climbed down the wall, retrieved the grappling hook, and ran off into the night. Meanwhile, Rin’s cold, lifeless body bled out atop the castle wall.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings